Examiner. Last February, Sarah Palin created the position of natural gas pipeline czar. Sarah appointed Harry Noah, who was Executive Director of Mental Health Trust Lands. The position was charged with comparing costs of the options for constructing an in-state natural gas pipeline, or bullet line, to bring North Slope gas to market in south central. Harry Noah is a miner without oil and gas experience. Noah also has ties to Dep. Commissioner Marty Rutherford, Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR). Rutherford was a former lobbyist for TransCanada. She has worked for the State in one capacity or another from the Tony Knowles Administration through the Palin Administration, and now is one of Parnell’s upper echelon DNR staff. This individual, like Noah, has no oil and gas experience, but has been continually put in positions to influence oil and gas decisions. Hence, the grativation of three administrations towards ‘big’ pipe with little progress towards moving Alaska’s stranded North Slope to market, either for in-state use or for export. The problem for Governor Sean Parnell is, that Noah’s post duplicates the voter created Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority’s (ANGDA) portfolio.
Is Energy Czar Inconsistent with ANGDA?
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About the Author: Dave Harbour
Personally, my reaction is that Harry’s work is important and needed. The Cook Inlet supply situation is a new factor that, at least in my view, has not previously been considered adequately in ANGDA’s work. The spend for Harry’s effort is a small investment in finding the best solution for that problem.
If, as many anticiapte, both Open Seasons next year fail and the Cook Inlet supply situation continues to deteriorate, we will need all of the options on the table in order to make an informed decision. It may be that the ANGDA options offer the best solution, or it may be that the best solution for the state as a whole is to bring the bullet line down to Southcentral and, as the writer suggests, build an LNG plant, but build it in Southcentral to anchor the Bullet Line. We should not slow down or undermine the development of any options at this point.